Feminist icon Gloria Steinem dies ‘peacefully’ at 92 ‘surrounded by loves ones’ as tributes paid to ‘one of a kind’

FEMINIST icon Gloria Steinem has died at the age of 92. The trailblazing journalist and activist, who became one of the most famous faces of the women’s liberation movement, died at her New York City home on Tuesday. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem has died at 92 Credit: @gloriasfoundation/Instagram The trailblazing journalist (pictured in 1972) died peacefully at her NYC home Credit: Getty Her death was announced in a heartbreaking statement on Steinem’s official Instagram page on Wednesday. “Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” it said. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.” No cause of death was immediately revealed. Read more on celebrity deaths Steinem spent decades fighting for women’s rights and became one of the most influential figures of second-wave feminism from the 1960s onwards. Her campaigning spanned reproductive rights, domestic violence prevention and gender inequality in the workplace. Paying tribute to the legendary activist, her team said her ability to listen to others was her “greatest gift”. “Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves,” the statement said. Most read in The Sun “Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor.” Steinem continued writing and campaigning into her later years and regularly welcomed people into her Manhattan home for “Talking Circles”. Her team said the tradition would continue after her death. She was also working on a forthcoming book, An Unexpected Life. Steinem (pictured in 2008) was a leading figure in the women’s liberation movement Credit: Corbis Amy Schumer, Gloria Steinem, and Madonna attend the rally at the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC Credit: Getty – Contributor Steinem shot to national prominence in 1963 after going undercover as a Playboy Bunny to expose the working conditions endured by women at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Clubs. She spent weeks working at the New York Playboy Club before publishing her explosive account. But it was her role in the burgeoning feminist movement that would make her an internationally recognised figure. Steinem became a fierce advocate for expanding women’s rights at a time when huge inequalities remained entrenched in American life. She helped push issues affecting women into the political mainstream as the movement fought against discrimination in education, employment, finance and reproductive healthcare. Steinem was also a co-founder of Ms. magazine, which became a major voice of the feminist movement after its launch in the early 1970s. Her decades of activism eventually earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour. Then-President Barack Obama presented Steinem with the award in 2013. Steinem also struck up an unlikely friendship with Meghan Markle, with the pair bonding over their shared interest in women’s rights. The Duchess of Sussex previously revealed they became close after connecting during the Covid pandemic, and the pair later appeared together publicly to discuss female empowerment and political participation. She and her older sister Susanne spent years travelling around the US with their parents as their father Leo worked as a travelling antiques salesman. Steinem did not regularly attend school until she was 11, when her parents divorced and she returned to Ohio with her mother Ruth. She later spoke about how watching her mother struggle with mental health problems – and seeing her concerns dismissed – helped shape her determination to give women a stronger voice. Steinem went on to graduate from Smith College before embarking on the journalism career that would ultimately propel her onto the world stage. Despite becoming synonymous with feminism, she continued campaigning for a broad range of equality and social justice causes throughout her life. In announcing her death, Steinem’s team revealed that she had asked supporters wishing to honour her to donate to Gloria’s Foundation instead of sending flowers. Her statement also recalled one of the activist’s favourite sayings: “The flap of a butterfly’s wing can change the weather hundreds of miles away.” 1 comment1